Date
Cost
Availability
Deposit
Single Supp
| 12 Jul - 22 Jul 2025
£4740.00
4 Spaces
£900.00
£0.00
Book Now
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| Day 1 | Arrive in Oban and board our home
for the coming days. Cruise up the
Sound of Mull and anchor for the night
10 nights on Elizabeth G |
| Days 2-10 | Birdwatching and wildlife exploration
around the Hebridian Islands and
when weather permits, cross the
exposed open water between
North Uist and St Kilda |
| Day 11 | After breakfast we say our farewells |
| Walking | On land, easy walks of 2-5 miles.
Walking boots essential. On board,
trainers, waterproof sandals or deck
shoes are ideal |
| Weather | From flat calm, hot & sunny, to choppy,
wet & windy (12°-20°C) |
| Onboard | Be prepared for all weathers . Waterproof
clothes including gloves are recommended.
As a precaution, you may wish to bring
seasickness medication with you. |
| Insects | Biting insects may be encountered on some islands |
| Meals | All included from dinner on Day 1 to
breakfast on Day 11
Good quality, freshly prepared food,
great home baking ... and plenty of it! |
| Accom | Elizabeth G – 2 Double and 2 Twin
ensuite cabins |
| Group | 8 |
As the most remote part of the UK, St Kilda holds a certain magic
and mystery. We’ll explore this archipelago, plus some of the
hidden treasures and wildlife of the islands of the Hebrides.
| * A memorable journey through the Hebrides aiming for St Kilda
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| * Visit the remote UNESCO Reserve and World Heritage Site of St Kilda
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| * Expect encounters with whales, dolphins and Otters enroute
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| * Golden and White-tailed Eagles and seabirds including Puffins, skuas and petrels
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| * Land on deserted beaches and remote islands
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| * Enjoy delicious food, a friendly crew and ‘go-where-we-want’
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| * Spend a week onboard the comfortable Elizabeth G!
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| Day 1 | We meet in Oban where our boat and crew will
be waiting for us. We are sure to be buzzing with
excitement about the week ahead and will be keen to
get our feet on the deck of the Elizabeth G.
The first sight of our home for the next few days is
sure to be a thrill, as we settle into our surroundings
which will become very familiar as the week
progresses. After a safety briefing and introduction
to the crew and Elizabeth G we’ll set sail. Elizabeth
G is a converted 23m ice-class boat, with spacious,
comfortable guest cabins, a huge deck-level saloon
and wonderful wildlife watching decks - she’s perfect
for our exploration. She is large enough to navigate
these waters yet small enough to glide unnoticed into
the remotest lochs. Once or twice a day we’ll land on
islands, using our zodiac and spend nights moored in
sheltered sea lochs, enjoying first class dinners.
As we cruise out of Oban harbour we shall be looking
for Black Guillemot and with luck Otter, which can be
seen here along the shore. Initially we’ll cruise up the
Sound of Mull. This area can be excellent for dolphin
spotting so on deck we’ll be looking out for Common
and Bottlenose Dolphin along with Harbour Porpoise.
This is also a great area for White-tailed Eagles, who
will be on the hunt as they will be busy feeding young.
We’ll find a sheltered anchorage to overnight and
enjoy our first meal onboard.
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| Days 2-10 | Our weather-dependent itinerary is at
the discretion of our experienced skipper.
Beyond the Ardnamurchan peninsula we shall traverse
seas that host dolphins and whales, to reach the stunning
Inner Hebridean island of Canna. As we approach we
shall start to see evidence of the fantastic birdlife that this
island hosts during the breeding season. Birds will be out
on the water feeding, but the cliffs will also be full of auks Kittiwakes and Puffins. Our eyes will be on the skies too,
as both Golden and White-tailed Eagles are present in
this area. As we cruise the shorelines, we shall be looking
for Otters and Eider and with luck we should see Redthroated
Divers offshore.
We hope to see swathes of Manx Shearwaters and
hopefully the tiny Storm Petrel dancing on the water
surface. Great Skuas may accompany our journey to the
Outer Hebrides, where sparkling sea and sand appear
to merge. The islands are home to some wonderful
wildlife and as we explore parts of Harris and North
and South Uist, we shall be listening for the sound of
Corncrake calling from the iris beds. Around the rugged
coasts we’ll look for cliff nesting raptors such as Peregrine
Falcon and White-tailed Eagle. There is always the chance
of Short-eared Owls and Hen Harrier where the land
lies low. Artic and Little Terns may fly close to the boat
and fish delicately in the shallows around the sandy bays.
On shore the wildflowers of the Hebrides, know as
Machair, should be in full bloom and are always a feast for
the eyes. We might feel we are in a tropical paradise as
the beaches we can access with our boat are as pristine
and picture perfect as you can imagine. Bays of turquoise
waters and white shell sand will take our breath away.
When the sea conditions allow, we’ll cross the open
water between North Uist and St Kilda, spending as
much time there as possible. The crossing to St Kilda
takes about eight hours and is rarely calm, so we have
to choose our time carefully. One hundred miles west
of mainland Scotland, St Kilda is a wild and spectacular
place, a UNESCO Reserve and World Heritage Site, it
is home to over one million seabirds. The cacophony of bird sound on the cliffs of Hirta, the largest of the islands,
is amazing and at Conachair are the highest seacliffs in
Britain at over 430 metres tall!
We’ll anchor in Village Bay where the village ruins call to
mind voices of this vanished community and now play
host to St Kilda races of Wren and Field Mouse. This is
the only place we can land in the St Kilda archipelago; here
we will really feel the impact of the history of the islands.
Soay is circled by steep cliffs and gives its name to its
dark coated, wild Sheep. Cloud swirls around Boreray,
a mass of impregnable jagged black volcanic rocks and
just offshore the monolithic pillars of Stac Armin and
Stac Lee tower above us. Here Gannets fall from the
sky and plunge into the fish-rich waters. We are truly
at ‘the Islands on the edge of the World’. On St Kilda is
the UK’s largest Storm Petrel colony and there is also
a small population of breeding Leach’s Petrel.
Our time will pass all too quickly and we’ll have to
make the return crossing to North Uist, through
the Sound of Harris and perhaps along the coast of
Coll, Tiree or Skye, depending on what time we have
remaining.
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| Day 11 | Eventually we return to Oban, where the
bustle of modern life is a world away from
the natural wonders that we’ll have left behind. After
breakfast we shall say our farewells after what will have
undoubtedly been a trip of a lifetime.
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Just some of what we hope to see..
| Golden Eagle | Gannet | Hen Harrier |
| White-tailed Sea Eagle | Guillemot | Peregrine |
| Great Northern Diver | Razorbill | Greenshank |
| Arctic Tern | Kittiwake | Twite |
| Little Tern | Fulmar | Minke Whale |
| Great Skua | Shag | Harbour Porpoise |
| Arctic Skua | Eider | Common Dolphin |
| Manx Shearwater | Rock Dove | (Risso's Dolphin) |
| Storm Petrel | Raven | (Basking Shark) |
| Leach's Petrel | Hooded Crow | Common Seal |
| Black Guillemot | Short-eared Owl | Grey Seal |
| Puffin | St Kilda Wren | Otter |
"For me, my holiday highlight was the realisation of a 15 year dream to set foot on St Kilda, having only every enticingly read about the islands and their history in Charles Maclean's St Kilda: Island on the Edge of the World. I'd even been on the Inner Hebridean Canna to Coll holiday with Speyside Wildlife to see if I had the sea legs for a trip to St Kilda. Fortunately, I discovered I had so booked my place. I knew that getting to St Kilda wasn't guaranteed, as the Skipper, Chris always had to make difficult decisions based on the weather forecasts and the tide. On Tuesday morning, when we were ashore on the island of Taransay, we all had very distant views of 2 islands right out to the far west. A murmer went round the group - that must be the archipelago of St Kilda. After lunch Chris decided to set sail for the Monach islands with a plan to sail to St Kilda the next day. As we set sail, what I called the goalposts of the two main islands of St Kilda, Hirta and Boreray were still far out to our right. I kept my sights fixed on the horizon, looking out for passing Divers, Storm Petrels, Shearwaters and other seabirds. Then, very slowly after about an hour, I noticed that the goalposts were now directly ahead of us and that we had changed direction. I caught my breath and couldn't stop a large smile creeping across my face I dared to realise what this meant - we were now heading for St Kilda today, not tomorrow but right now! We excitedly asked Duncan to speak to Chris who confirmed we were indeed heading out to sea but just to see what the conditions were like further out. With the goalposts straight ahead and the knowledge it would still take about 6 hours to get there, a group of us wrapped up in our waterproofs gave such a cheer on the the top deck. The smiles never left our faces and we all remained on deck until we sailed into Village Bay for our first night on St Kilda - where an Iceland Gull welcomed us to our anchorage. As we enjoyed our delicious dinner the boat slowly revolved around its mooring, revealing an every changing St Kildan panorama in the evening light. A rainbow appeared over the island of Dun just confirming what a truly special place it is."
Catharine Jarvis
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"The boat, the crew/guides, itinerary and weather all exceptionnaly good and leadership exemplary. Thanks to all at Speyside Wildlife for all the memories that will live with me for the rest of my life - a unique, enlightening, and "enjoyably tiring" week in great company, Duncan Mc must be in the top 1% of wildlife guides in GB and doubled the enjoyment of everyone on board. Thanks"
Terry Smith
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"There were quite a few magic moments on this trip. The first one came with the first dinner and indeed the meal and snacks, the homemade, still warm cakes, were a real holiday highlight. Seeing the Minke Whales and the Dolphins apparently enjoying themselves low wave riding was magical, as were the Basking Sharks, I hadn't realised they were so big. Seeing the huge White-tailed Sea Eagle and the Golden Eagles, especially the Golden Eagle pair with the chick in the eyrie on Mull was thrilling. The largest Gannet colony in the world on Bareray and the stacks was amazing. Catherine had brought along a bottle of champagne which she shared with us while watching the Gannets there, which was a real magical moment. Another magical moment was when we realised we were on track for St Kilda that afternoon and not heading for the Monach Islands. Our walk round Village Bay, Hirta and realising how hard the villagers lives must have been was awe inspiring. Also, I so enjoyed seeing the Heath Spotted Orchids and other flowers blooming away there. There was also the thrill of going through the Soay Gap when we were taken round the St Kilda Islands. However, I think my best magic moment was on Lunga Island, lying on my stomach talking to the Puffins. They are such comical little birds and I loved the way they popped out of their burrows, looked round, and the way they fly. The group got on so well, we had lots of laughs and everyone was keen. We couldn't have been looked after better by Chris, Elaine and Jenny and all in all I think the St Kilda trip has been one of my best holidays."
Jenny Gilson
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"I just loved every minute of my holiday. The crew were really excellent, Duncan our guide also superb and attentive without being a nuisance, a really splendid holiday - and I am not a birder."
Elaine Mills
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"This was the best holiday I've had. Somewhat to my surprise I really enjoyed the boat and it took us much closer to the wildlife. We had lots of really brilliant views of Eagle (Golden and White-tailed), Basking Sharks, Minke Whale, Dolphins (Common and White-beaked) Harbour Porpoise, Gannets, Gannets, Gannets, Puffins, Puffins, Puffins, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Guillemots, Manx Shearwater in dozens, Skuas, Arctic and Common Terns, Otter, oh and a Hedgehog walking up the path towards us on Canna. The moment when we realised the conditions were good and the boat headed for St Kilda was a joy (we'd set off westwards experimentally but were going to turn South to the Monagh Isles if conditions weren't right - however, there was a point when Duncan pointed out we'd gone too far westwards to turn back now, so we must be going to St Kilda!). That afternoon was very special, on top of the boat, watching the islands of St Kilda come closer and closer, the group buzzing with excitement. A wonderful holiday, I hated coming back!"
Julia Lashly
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Elizabeth G has a previous history as a sturdy ocean-going naval vessel, which was then converted to a luxury motor vessel with ensuite cabins. With her high prow, deep draft and twin engines she is built for safety, reliability and horsepower.
With a high level of comfort and hospitality on board, Elizabeth G is the perfect combination of adventure and luxury to take guests to the most far-flung islands of the Hebrides and the remote sea lochs of the west coast of Scotland. She is served by four highly qualified crew, namely Skipper, Chef, Bosun and Wildlife Expert.
Accommodation on board Elizabeth G is spacious and comfortable for 8 guests in four double or twin ensuite cabins. The wheelhouse, indoor dining saloon and 2 outside observation decks on two levels offer lots of choice for relaxing and wildlife watching.
The meals served onboard by the Chef are legendary. All food is prepared from fresh, local ingredients, creating delicious dishes. A speciality of Hebrides Cruises is hand-dived scallops, often provided by the Skipper on board actually doing the dive!
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